Today marks 14 years of the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa) is a traditional Chinese practice of meditation and spiritual self-improvement that consists of moral teachings and five gentle exercises. The core principles of the practice are Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance.

Since July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist regime has been persecuting tens of millions of innocent Chinese people who continue to hold onto their belief in Falun Gong. Reports of torture, abuse and murder have been coming out of China ever since.

In 2006, evidence began to surface that China's organ-transplant industry was being supplied with the organs of Falun Gong practitioners.

Since then, much analysis and investigation, corroborated by witness testimony, has led to the publication of two books that conclude that tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been killed for their organs: "Bloody Harvest: Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China" and "State Organs: Transplant Abuse in China."

In response to China's use of Falun Gong practitioners as organ "donors," a U.S. congressional resolution (HR281) has been introduced by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., and Rep. Rob Andrews, D-N.J. There is also a Minnesota House resolution (HR4), introduced by Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, and coauthored by Reps. Linda Runbeck, R-Circle Pines, and Andrea Kieffer, R-Woodbury.

Support is needed for these resolutions to move forward. Please contact your federal and state representatives and ask them to cosponsor these resolutions.

As stated in both resolutions, Americans continue to travel to China for transplant surgery, and members of the American medical community continue cooperation with and training of their Chinese colleagues.

These resolutions, if passed, will help our country's doctors, patients, hospitals and universities make informed decisions regarding transplant abuse in China. They will also send a direct message to the Chinese medical and legal community that such activity is completely unacceptable.

As Greek lawmaker Solon said more than 2,500 years ago, "We shall succeed in ending injustice and abuse when those who are not the victims are as outraged about the injustice and harm as those who are the victims."

For more information about the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong, visit www.faluninfo.net.

Jim Battaglini, of Shakopee, represents the Minnesota Falun Dafa Association.